Contents

Scottish involvement in early years of Australian rules in Melbourne1.1

Modern era2

Current clubs3

Future Clubs4

Grand Finals5

Haggis Cup5.1

Scottish National Team5.2

Scotland in EU Cup5.3

Audience6

Television6.1

See also7

References8

External links9

Early history

There are rumours of a competition near the River Clyde during the early 20th Century, famously referred to in A Game of their Own, where a number of expatriate Australians were based in Scotland either as Ship Workers or Soldiers. Had this league existed, and there is no proof it ever did, then it had died out around the time of the First World War.

An "Edinburgh Australians' Club" existed in the years between 1870 and the [1]

Champion Australian Rules players who were members of the Edinburgh Australians Club over the next decade or two were Victorian premiership players RH Morrison, AB Timms and GF Read (Geelong); Colin Campbell and ‘Gus’ Kearney ( Essendon). Other prominent players were J (Jos) Adams (Melbourne, Essendon and Geelong), J Pender, AE Syme (Essendon); FJ Clendinnen and AW Marwood (Melbourne).

In addition there were many prominent Public School players such as WC and CC Macknight, SW Pitcher, WE O’Hara, DA Robinson, DGM Teague, W Scott, LG Pearson, HW Bryant, (son of ‘Jerry’ Bryant the publican who organised one of the first games in Melbourne), CS and CG Ryan (Melbourne Grammar), CG Timms, I Glassford (Geelong College), D Gordon, J & P Russell, AH Rutherford, RC Irvine (Geelong Grammar), GM Munro, R Fetherstone, CL Carter, T Fitchett, HF Lawrence (Wesley), Ramsay Mailer, HE Jackson and DJ Macrae (Scotch College). Testimony to the existence of the Edinburgh Australians Club are early records and photographs in the University’s Student magazine and the perpetual Cup which the Australians donated to record champion athletes and which is still on display at the University.

Scottish involvement in early years of Australian rules in Melbourne

Scots living in [1]

The now-defunct Glasgow Redbacks wore black jumpers with a red diagonal stripe across the front, the same as worn by Essendon Football Club. This is said to recognise the Scottish roots of Essendon, which was formed in 1871 by a Scots family who had moved to Melbourne.

Modern era

During the 1990s the Caledonian Sharks were set up by John Boland, but eventually folded. The first lasting Scottish club of the modern era was known as the Edinburgh Puffins in 2003 with informal matches held, and invitiationals of clubs from the British Australian Rules Football League. The Edinburgh Puffins and modern SARFL came about through the work of Andrew Butler and Richard Prentice, former players with BARFL side, North London Lions. Butler and Prentice began plans for the SARFL in the winter of 2002/2003. Intra city friendlies began in early 2003 and a combined rules match against Edinburgh Gaelic side Dunedin Connolleys. The Puffins made their debut in the 2003 Northern Cup tournament staged in St Helens. The side remained unbeaten against the then St Helens Miners and Wandsworth Demons. Later in 2003, the Puffins staged a home and away series against Oxford University winning both hard fought games. The inaugural SARFL season was held in 2004 with a league consisting of two sides in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow. The Puffins name, originally conceived by inaugural Edinburgh Puffins coach Gavin England was subsequently conferred upon the Scottish national team. Later in 2010 the Scottish Puffins were rebranded as the Scottish Clansmen.

In 2006, Glasgow and Edinburgh considered competing in the BARFL Regional competition, though travel problems saw them continue an expanded SARFL local competition with the Glasgow Redbacks and Middlesbrough Hawks from northern England joining the league. The Hawks left the league in 2007 to join the northern division of Aussie Rules UK, and the Scottish league had difficulty in operating on more than a social match level in 2008.

The league was relaunched in 2009, with the Glasgow and Edinburgh playing bases consolidated to one club in each city. They were joined by a new club in Aberdeen, named the "Aberdingoes".

The Scottish Puffins have competed at some tournaments as a stand-alone team, but are represented by the Great Britain Bulldogs. There has been speculation that they may compete as a separate team at the Australian Football International Cup in future, but this has not been confirmed at any official level.

Scottish National Team

The Scottish national team, The Clansmen, compete in 1-3 events per calendar year. These events are typically the Tri-Nations Championship, the AFL Europe Eurocup and an additional challenge match or friendly tournament across the European continent.

The Scottish Clansmens strongest Eurocup performance was in Belfast 2011, winning their group with wins over Spain and Finland and finishing 6th over all in the tournament.

2014 Eurocup Squad

Player Name

Position

Club

Ross Thomson (C)

Half Back / On Ball

Glasgow Sharks

David Gamble

Ruck / On Ball

Cardiff Panthers

Martin Bell

Half Back / Full Back

Falkirk Silverbacks

Alexander Clarke

Half Forward / On Ball

Glasgow Sharks

Daniel Collett

Full Forward

Glasgow Sharks

Daniel Connor

Half Forward

Glasgow Sharks

Michael Douglas

Half Forward

Glasgow Sharks

Cameron Goodall

Half Back / Ruck

Kingdom Kanagroos

Scott O'Hara

On Ball

Copenhagen Barracudas

Angus Mackintosh

On Ball

Edinburgh Bloods

Mark McFarlane

Half Forward / Full Forward

Glasgow Sharks

Chris McGookin

Half Back / Full Back

Edinburgh Bloods

John McIntyre

Ruck / Full Forward

Glasgow Sharks

Gus Thomson

Half Back / Full Back

Glasgow Sharks

Michael Woodrow

On Ball

Wimbledon Hawks

Alex Young

Ruck / Full Forward

Glasgow Sharks

Scotland in EU Cup

Scotland competed at the inaugural EU Cup in London on 9 October 2005 and then again at the EU Cup in Prague, 2008.

Scotland [15] 8.7 (70) d. France [30] 3.4 (52)

Sweden [10] 10.3 (73) d. Scotland [15] 2.4 (31)

England [22] 6.5 (63) d. Scotland [15] 4.2 (41)

Netherlands [8] 8.8 (64) d. Scotland [15] 4.5 (44)

Classification Match

Scotland [15] 3.3 (36) d. Austria [5] 2.1 (18)

Scotland also competed at the 2008 EU Cup in Prague.

Audience

Television

ESPN (UK) and British Eurosport are the current holders of the British rights to the Australian Football League (AFL). ESPN shows three live games each round of the season including the playoffs and the AFL Grand Final. Eurosport shows one game a week but the coverage is delayed.

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